


Still my desk

by R_B_Bloom



Series: Brothers in every way but blood [2]
Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Good Friend John B. Routledge, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, JJ (Outer Banks) Needs a Hug, John B also needs a hug, Platonic Cuddling, Sleepy Cuddles, Swearing, so they hug each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24284620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_B_Bloom/pseuds/R_B_Bloom
Summary: Chronologically, JJ knows that John B and him haven’t know each other their whole lives, there’s a small gap in between, but in the whole time JJ’s known John B, there’s never been a stage where JJ thinks about his life before John B. To JJ, life truly started when he met John B.or, we all know JJ and John B are both incredibly stubborn so this is one of the many versions I have of the beginning of their friendship.
Relationships: JJ & John B. Routledge
Series: Brothers in every way but blood [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748947
Comments: 8
Kudos: 106





	Still my desk

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all!! First of all... w o w. Wow, wow, wow!! I did not expect for Bingo to do as well as it did and when I saw that it nows has 100 kudos I high key started crying. Happy tears, of course!! It truly warms my hear that everyone is so kind and supportive on here. That being said, I'd also like to give a special thank-you to all the beautiful humans that commented on Bingo, I had tears in my eyes by the time I finished reading them. I've always been insecure about my writing even though it's my passion and, combined with the fact that I'm a very obsessive perfectionist, it's easy to get discouraged, so those kind words of encouragement and positive feedback mean so much to me, I can't even describe it. Now, before I start crying again, I present to you 'still my desk,' the second installment in the series. This one is from the perspective of JJ regarding John B and I wrote it at 12:30 at night while I was in my feels. Can you tell I don't have a very good sleep schedule? Hehe. Anyway, one thing that I thought was really well developed on the show for both John B and JJ was their loyalty and stubbornness so I drew on that as inspiration for this piece and kind of just let my mind write out a plot. I'm still a little unsure about how much I like it but I'm trying to learn to love my writing and people have waited so patiently for the next part of the series so I decided to publish it. Enjoy ladies and jellybeans!!

JJ Maybank can count on one hand the amount of memories in his head that don’t feature John B. Distant flashes of his mother’s blonde, wavy hair, a vague recollection of who his father was before the boos and pills consumed his ever lucid thought. Point being, there’s never been a time that John B hasn’t been an active part of his life. Chronologically, JJ knows that John B and him haven’t know each other their whole lives, there’s a small gap in between, but in the whole time JJ’s known John B, there’s never been a stage where JJ thinks about his life before John B. To JJ, life truly started when he met John B.

The day is still as fresh and vivid in JJ’s 16-year-old mind as it was when it happened to his 8-year-old self. It was the first day of the third grade, and JJ had already earnt himself a detention, a new record!! The details of why he received the detention have become hazy over the years, but he distinctly remembers telling someone to kiss his ass. He’s pretty damn proud of his younger self for that one. Despite remembering jack shit about what lead up to the detention, JJ can still clearly remember the boy seated at the desk towards the back of the classroom. 

More specifically, his desk. No, it wasn’t officially his, but JJ had become a regular to after-school detentions, and he’d be damned if he wasted 45 minutes of his precious time sitting at an uncomfortable desk. So, like any logical 8-year-old, JJ marched over to the desk and stomped his foot on the ground, crossing his arms over his puffed out chest. 

“You’re sitting at my desk” JJ exclaimed, trying his best to intimidate the other boy 

The other boy, slightly startled at the presence of someone else, looked up from the surf magazine he appeared to be browsing, blinking up at JJ. He seemed to be analysing JJ with his dark brown eyes, looking him up and down a few times before seeming to come to a decision. Nodding his head, the boy smiled at JJ before going back to his surf magazine. 

Furrowing his eye-brows in confusion, JJ tried to comprehend what just happened. Did this kid just…ignore him? Shaking his head, JJ addressed the boy again with a raised voice, saying: 

“Hey idiot, that’s my desk, you gotta go”

The curly-haired boy simply flipped a page of his surf magazine over, skimming over the words printed on the page. 

Anybody who’s ever had an interaction with JJ Maybank are guaranteed to say the same thing; he’s stubborn. JJ’s not quite sure where he got it from. Could have been his mum, it might have been his dad. On a deeper level, JJ knows that it’s probably his way of trying to assert dominance so that no one like his dad can have more power then him. But, JJ’s never been a fan of thinking too deeply. 

In the end, JJ’s stubbornness will always win over his pride. So, instead of fuming at another desk for a while and letting it go, JJ walked to the other side the desk, turned to face the white board located at the front of the classroom, and sat down. Directly on the boy. 

Letting out a surprised squeak, John Booker Routledge muttered his first ever words to JJ: 

“Dude…what the fuck?” 

For years, JJ had been trying to convince John B. to write those words down on a piece of paper and hang it in a frame right above his bed, but to no avail. Frankly, JJ doesn’t see why, it was a legendary moment in their friendship. 

Nevertheless, 8-year-old JJ was not going to give up easily, and he was gonna damn well make sure John B knew it. So, twisting around to look at John B, JJ smirked cunningly as he linked his hands together, raising his eye-brows. 

“I tried to warn you. This is my desk. I’m just claiming my territory” JJ explained, certain that John B was going to get up and move. 

JJ was yet to learn, however, that John B’s persistency rivalled his own when it came to a challenge. So, instead of being intimidated by JJ’s obvious attempt at dominance, John B. stared JJ directly in the eyes, mimicking the smirk on JJ’s face earlier. Picking up his magazine again, John B shrugged casually as he averted his eyes back to the page. 

“Be my guest” John B replied, the smirk never leaving his face 

Ohhhh, JJ mentally scoffed, it is so on. 

“Fine” JJ replied, shifting into a more comfortable position on the other boy’s lap 

“Fine” John B replied easily 

The minutes went by agonisingly slowly as the detention went on, with neither boy willing to surrender their right to the desk. JJ had to admit, he was impressed by John B’s determination. JJ prided himself on being able to scare people away easily, yet he weirdly appreciated the fact that John B refused to go down without a fight. Too many people in JJ’s life had just dismissed him. His mother left him with an asshole father without a second thought, his old man didn’t give a shit where he was or what he was doing unless he wanted to beat JJ, and all the case workers that have come to his doorstep have done shit-all looking into Luke’s abuse before fucking off back to the safety of the mainland. He’d tried to make friends at school before, when he first started, but soon gave up hope of having any, the other kids only made fun of his clothes and laughed when JJ flinched at a raised voice. JJ didn’t hope, he learnt early on that having hope will only lead to being hurt, but in that after-school detention with a kid JJ had never talked to before, a small part of his 8-year-old self couldn’t help but hope that John B would turn out to be different. 

About 15 minutes into the detention, JJ could feel his eyes getting heavy as the exhaustion of his young life began to creep up on him. Luke, although always horrible, had been particularly brutal with beatings that past week. Apparently, losing your job because you showed up fucked up on opioids was obviously your 8-year-old son’s fault. His dad had ripped his door half-way off its hinges the first night and threw a bottle at JJ’s sleeping form the third night. Needless to say, he’d been a bit hesitant to fall asleep at his house. But John B’s steady breathing was strangely relaxing and JJ’s lack of rest was beginning to catch up with him now that he didn’t have the threat of his father looming over him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, JJ realised he had a while until he was released. And, cautiously glancing at John B, JJ realised it wouldn’t be that noticeable that he was asleep. I’ll just rest my eyes for a few minutes, JJ thinks, just a few minutes… 

The first thing JJ noticed when he returned to the land of the living was the pain in his neck. Cringing, JJ brought a hand up to gently massage his neck, trying to get the crick out of it but to no avail. Well, JJ thought, that’s gonna hurt like a bitch. 

The second thing he noticed was that the sun was a lot lower in the sky than when he fell asleep. The sky, previously light blue, had darkened significantly, with streaks of pink, red and orange beginning to peek through. The room was also considerably darker, forcing JJ to blink in order to adjust his eyes. 

The third things JJ noticed as his eyes finally adjusted to the dark room was a pair of dark brown eyes squinting at him. On pure instinct, JJ violently flinched away from the eyes, fearing them to be Luke’s in his moment of post-nap confusion. JJ quickly realised his mistake, however, as he felt himself falling out of the chair. Luckily, before he could hit the ground, a pair of arms grabbed onto his t-shirt, holding him in place. 

“Damn, I knew I was gorgeous but I didn’t know I was the ‘fall out of your chair’ type of gorgeous” John B teased lightly, slightly confused over JJ’s reaction but amused nevertheless 

It all came back to JJ in a rush. Distantly, JJ realised that his head almost definitely dropped onto John B’s shoulder at some point, undoubtably the cause of the soar crick in his neck. Trying to regain his composure and at least some of his dignity, JJ reverted back to his natural defence mechanism of sarcasm, replying easily 

“You aren’t gorgeous, bro, I just couldn’t tell the difference between your face and a rat in this lighting” 

JJ hears John B snort in amusement 

“Hey, it’s been 45 minutes you know, you can get off me now” John B said with a raised eyebrow 

Silently cursing himself, JJ got up from his position on the other boy’s lap, slinging his ratty backpack over one shoulder. 

“You’re a shitty pillow, you know” JJ says while stretching out his muscles, trying to regain his composure 

JJ turned to see John B giving him the finger before he walked out of the classroom’s backdoor towards the front of the school. 

Inhaling deeply, JJ took a moment to appreciate the beauty of an outer banks spring. A light breeze ruffled his blonde curls as birds and insects began to settle down in preparation for early evening, their communications accompanied by the distinct sound of waves crashing against the sand bank. Trees danced seamlessly with the wind, with the hum of the surrounding nature creating a perfect lullaby. 

JJ felt someone walk up behind him and join him in the grass, lying down to look at the changing colours of the sky. It was silent for a while as both JJ and John B appreciate their home, the peaceful sounds of their surroundings settling them into a comfortable silence. Eventually, JJ lays down beside John B, who tilts his head to look at the boy beside him. 

“I’m JJ, by the way” JJ says after a while, wanting to fill the silence 

“John B” John B responds, grinning at JJ 

JJ nods before returning his gaze back to the sky, a slight smile on his face. 

“Still my desk” JJ reminds John B 

JJ can pretty much hear the fond smile in John B’s voice as he replies: 

“We’ll see”

After that day, JJ and John B became attached at the hip. JJ wasn’t religious, but he thanked whatever god was out there that John B had stayed in his life. What started as a childish rivalry turned into a brotherhood JJ’s knows will withstand any shit the universe throws at them. JJ honestly thinks he would be six feet under the ground by now if he hadn’t met John B. Before he met John B, that thought would have brought him a sick sense of utter joy, but now that John B, his best friend, his brother, is in his life, the thought of leaving him alone fills JJ with an indescribable amount of dread and guilt. 

Because of John B, JJ allows himself to hope. He hoped all those years ago that John B would be different, wouldn’t dismiss or give up on him, and John B came through. Ever since that one fateful day, it’s been John B and JJ vs the world. They’ve had people come and go, and parents leave and abandon them, but the one thing they’ve always had, and always will have, is each other. JJ only wishes that he could go back and tell his 7-year-old self, bruised and contemplating running away indefinitely, to keep his head held high, tell him that in a year he would meet the one person that would change his life forever, and for the better. 

JJ’s not sure if souls exist, but if they do, he’s certain that him and John B are kindred spirits. He knows every meaning behind each of John B’s looks, each of his smiles and each of his emotional outbursts. Yes, JJ knows superficial shit like how John B’s favourite colour is mint green and his favourite movie is Spiderman homecoming, but his friendship with John B went way beyond the generic bullshit. Sometimes the thought of being as close to John B as he is still terrifies him, with the fear of letting down the person he’s closest to sending him down a dark spiral. But John B’s always there to pull him out. He holds JJ’s hand and teaches him how to breathe again, running his fingers through JJ’s bleach blond hair with his spare hand. JJ knows that without John B, there would be no JJ. 

So, feeling daring enough to express his emotions while drunk and stoned beyond belief, JJ turns to where John B is sitting next to him on one of the boneyard’s many fallen tree trunks and hugs him. Or at least, he attempts to. Due to the fact that both JJ and John B are absolutely hammered, the hug JJ intended turned out more like a WWE take down, with JJ colliding so hard with a dazed and unprepared John B that they both topple off the tree trunk and onto the soft sand bellow. Smiling dopily, JJ looks up towards John B, finding a pair of dark brown eyes gazing back at him. In their drunk, high state, JJ and John B maintain eye contact for a ground-breaking 5 seconds before simultaneously bursting out laughing. After a while, John B laying his head back on the sand to hysterically giggle at the starry night sky while JJ rested his head on John B’s chest, dizzy from their laughing fit (and maybe a bit of weed). 

JJ, like the pure ADHD kid everyone knows he is, soon gets sick of his position lying face down, instead opting to belly crawl over to where John B’s head is still resting in the sand. Collapsing from the exhaustion of moving those few extra metres, JJ turns to look at John B. Pale moonlight illuminates John B’s features as the shadows of the fire dance across his sun-kissed skin, bathing his face in a warm orange glow. John B finally seems to register JJ’s presence beside him and being the adorably affectionate drunk stoner he is, pulls JJ into his side, wrapping both arms securely around his best friend. JJ doesn’t hesitate to reciprocate the embrace as he slides his arms around John B’s waist, resting his head in the crook of John B’s neck. He feels John B nuzzle his hair in response, seemingly drifting off to sleep. 

Remembering the reason that he initiated the hug, however, JJ shook John B back into awareness, who responded with a tired groan. 

“Let me sleep JJ” John B whined, pulling JJ tighter against his chest 

“No no dude you gotta stay awake” JJ drunkenly insisted “I got something to tell you” 

“What is it?” JJ hears John B mumble, already drifting off to sleep 

“You’re an utter shithead…” JJ began 

“That’s what you needed to say? Seriously? I could’ve been asleep by now man” John B complained, and JJ could feel him pouting on top of his head 

“Shut up, dipshit, you didn’t let me finish” JJ said, raising a hand to John B’s lips as he felt he was about to respond 

“Anyway, you’re an utter shithead but I love you to death and would do anything do you and dude, I know I’m so shit with my emotions and if you dare bring this up tomorrow I will personally bitch slap you to Georgia, but you’re my brother and I can never see or remember my life without you in it” JJ said in one breathe, more open to expressing his emotions but still utterly terrified of rejection even in his drunken state 

JJ feels John B tilt his face and place a slobbery kiss on his forehead before raking a hand through JJ’s hair. 

“You’re the most amazing brother I could ever have bubba. I love you to infinity and beyond” John B slurred, smiling against JJ’s hair 

JJ tilts his face up and aims to kiss John B’s cheek but instead misses entirely and ends up pecking him on the nose, causing them both to erupt into fits of hysterical laughter. 

JJ and John B fall asleep on the sand by the crackling fire with their bodies pressed together and hands loosely intertwined, a chaotic yet somehow perfectly structured mess of limbs. And if they wake up sober and still continue cuddling under the stars, well, no one’s ever going to say a thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and constructive criticism, thank-you for reading and make sure to have an incredible day/night you beautiful person!! <3


End file.
